Chelsea defender
Ashley Cole has been pictured back in non-contact training after ankle surgery and is expected to return to first-team action before the end of the season.

Life’s a beach: Ashley Cole doing non-contact work in the sandpit at Chelsea’s Cobham training complex

Cole, who suffered the injury against Everton at the beginning of February, was given a stringent non-contact workout at the club’s Cobham training ground.

The England left-back also did some heading and turning exercises to test out the joint before undergoing more physio work inside the complex.

And manager Carlo Ancelotti , who is preparing his side for a crucial Premier League game against Portsmouth on Wednesday night, said he expects Cole to join his team-mates in full training in two weeks’ time.

‘Ashley’s recovery is going very well,’ he said.

‘He started to train in the sand today and I think he will start to train on the ground maybe in 15 days, so he will be ready to play the last game of the season.’

It had been feared Cole’s ankle injury may keep him out of the World Cup – giving England boss Fabio Capello a selection headache for the tournament with second-choice Wayne Bridge having made himself unavailable.

But Cole looks in a positive frame of mind and has targetted the game against Wigan at Stamford Bridge on 9th May – the final day of the Premier League season – for his return.

It could mean the 29-year-old has at least two competitive fixtures before England’s squad meet for their World Cup warm-up programme.

Chelsea have the opportunity to reach the FA Cup final, which will be on 15th May, if they beat Aston Villa at Wembley in the last-four next month.